Most people have walked into a public library. But many are surprised by the sheer breadth of what happens inside one — the early learning spaces where toddlers discover how to learn, the recording studios where creators make magic, the quiet corners where someone is rebuilding their life. Behind all of it, making more of it possible, is Vancouver Public Library Foundation. For over a decade, the Foundation has worked to strengthen and expand VPL's programs, collections, services, and spaces, while building a growing community of supporters who believe that everything the library offers should be available to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.
More Than a Place to Borrow Books
Philanthropic giving has traditionally found its home in hospitals, universities, and the arts — but public libraries, despite being one of the most accessible and widely used institutions in any city, have only recently begun to attract that same level of support. When Jenny joined VPL Foundation in 2013, not many people knew you could give to a public library, or why it would make a difference. The Foundation had 350 regular supporters and raised about $350,000 a year.
That has changed. Today, VPL Foundation has close to 6,000 regular supporters and raises approximately $2.5 million a year — all going directly back into Vancouver Public Library. The Foundation made a deliberate effort to help people understand what the library offers and how much more it could do with support behind it. When someone makes even a small donation, they feel part of something that matters. It stops being the library and starts becoming their library. That sense of shared investment is what has transformed the VPL Foundation into one of Vancouver's most meaningful philanthropic communities.
“It's really about extending the library's reach, amplifying what they can do so more people can benefit from all the free services, programs, spaces and collections that the library has to offer.” — Jenny Marsh
JENNY MARSH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
From First Steps to Bigger Dreams
The Foundation's vision didn't arrive fully formed. In the early years, the work was about responding to what the library needed — and the needs were significant. The first major project was the Inspiration Lab at Central Library, a creative space offering free recording studios, graphic design tools, and sound editing equipment. Shortly after, when the library had the opportunity to expand into 45,000 square feet of space but lacked the funds to make it work for the public, the Foundation stepped in — committing to raise $10 million. They did! The space opened in 2018 and has been extraordinarily well used ever since.
But responding to emerging needs was just the first chapter of a much bigger story. It was only once those immediate needs were met that the Foundation could ask a bigger question: what are we actually building here? The answer they arrived at — enriching connections to lifelong learning, inspiration, and to one another, for everyone — now shapes everything they do. Growing the library's philanthropic community isn't just about raising money. It's about helping more people feel that the library belongs to them.
Peace of Mind Is a Strategy
For a growing foundation handling sensitive donor data and financial information, cybersecurity had always been something everyone knew mattered — but with no dedicated IT role, it kept getting absorbed into someone else's already full plate.
IT responsibilities moved from person to person, quietly absorbing time that belonged elsewhere. The turning point came not from an internal crisis, but from something far more sobering: news of a major cybersecurity attack on the Toronto Public Library that shut down digital services for months, forcing staff to check out books using manual stamps.
That news hit close to home. For a foundation affiliated with an institution as visible and deeply trusted by its community as VPL, it was impossible to ignore. A serious conversation followed — and it was a trusted referral that brought Jenny to TAVANCA. The partnership began not as a reaction to a problem, but as a commitment to never having to react to one.
“IT was like a hot potato that we were throwing around because nobody really wants to hold it.” — Jenny Marsh
The Next Chapter
The road ahead is one Jenny describes with real excitement. A growing focus on AI literacy, making tools and education accessible to everyone, reflects the Foundation's belief that libraries have always existed to level the playing field — and always will. Each year, Rooftop Remix brings the community together to raise funds for early learning spaces, giving Vancouver's youngest residents the start they deserve. The next edition is planned for June 2027!
- Join the community behind Vancouver's library: vplf.ca
- Proudly helping organizations like VPL Foundation stay secure and focused on their mission: tavanca.ca
